Lead
English Etymology 1 , from , from (cf. West Frisian , Dutch , German 'plummet, sounding lead', Swedish ), from (cf. Irish ), from (cf. Latin plumbum), from 'to flow'. More at flow. Pronunciation * , , * * Noun # A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82, Atomic weight 206.4, Specific Gravity 11.37, Symbol Pb (from Latin plumbum). # A plummet or mass of lead attached to a line, used in sounding depth at sea or to estimate velocity in knots. # A thin strip of type metal, used to separate lines of type in printing. # Vertical space in advance of a row or between rows of text. Also known as leading. #: This copy has too much lead; I prefer less space between the lines. # Sheets or plates of lead used as a covering for roofs. # A roof covered with lead sheets or terne plates. #:* I would have the tower two stories, and goodly leads upon the top. — Bacon # A thin cylinder of black lead or plumbago (graphite) used in pencils. # bullets #: They filled him full of '''lead'.'' Derived terms * arm the lead * acetate of lead * black lead * blue lead * cast the lead, heave the lead * chromate of lead * coasting lead * cold lead * deep-sea lead * eka-lead * hand lead * lap in lead * lay in lead * lead accumulator * lead acetate * lead-acid battery * lead-arming * lead arsenate * lead-ash, lead-ashes * lead-back * lead balloon * lead-bath * lead-blue * lead bronze * lead-brown * lead bullion * lead-burn * lead burning * lead carbonate * lead cell * lead chamber * lead chloride * lead colic * lead color, lead colour * lead-colored, lead-coloured * lead-comb * lead crystal * lead dichloride * lead dinitrate * lead dioxide * lead distemper * lead-eater * leaded * lead encephalopathy * lead-flat * lead-foot * lead-free * lead glance * lead glass * lead-glaze * lead-gray, lead-grey * lead hydrogen arsenate * lead in one's pencil * lead iodide * lead-light * lead-like * lead line * lead-man * lead-marcasite * lead mill * lead-nail * lead nitrate * lead ocher, lead ochre * lead oxide * lead paint * lead palsy * lead-paper * lead-papered * lead paralysis * lead pencil * lead plant * lead-plaster * lead peroxide * lead-pot * lead-poisoning * lead ratio * lead-reeve * lead selenide * lead-sinker * lead-soap * lead-spar * lead-sugar * lead sulfide, lead sulphide * lead-swing * lead-swinger * lead-swinging * lead tetraethyl * lead tetroxide * lead-tin * lead-tree * lead vanadate * lead-vitriol * lead-wash * lead-water * lead wool * lead-work * lead-works * lead-wort * mock lead * pencil lead * red lead * red lead ore * sugar of lead * swing the lead * telluride of lead * tetraethyl lead * thorium lead * unleaded * uranium lead * uranium-lead dating * white lead Translations * Afrikaans: * Alabama: ɬaki * Albanian: * Arabic: * Armenian: * Basque: * Belarusian: * Bosnian: * Breton: , * Bulgarian: * Campidanese Sardinian: * Catalan: * Chinese: *: Mandarin: , *: Cantonese: * Cornish: * Croatian: * Czech: * Danish: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Estonian: * Faroese: * Finnish: * French: * Friulian: * Galician: * Georgian: * German: * Greek: * Hebrew: * Hungarian: * Icelandic: * Indonesian: * Irish: * Italian: * Japanese: * Kashubian: òłów * Kazakh: * Korean: , ( ) * Kurdish: * Latin: * Latvian: * Lithuanian: * Luxembourgish: * Macedonian: * Malay: * Malayalam: * Maltese: * Manx: * Maori: * Mongolian: * Navajo: * Norwegian: * Persian: * Polish: * Portuguese: * Romanian: * Russian: , * Scottish Gaelic: * Serbian: , * Slovak: * Slovene: * Spanish: * Swedish: * Tajik: * Tamil: * Telugu: * Thai: * Turkish: * Ukrainian: * Uzbek: * Vietnamese: * Welsh: * West Frisian: * Yiddish: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: * German: * Greek: * Italian: * Russian: , * Spanish: , * Swedish: * Dutch: * Russian: , , * Spanish: , * German: Durchschuss * Russian: интерлиньяж (interlinjáž) , межстрочное расстояние (mežstróčnoje rasstojánije) * Greek: * Greek: * Dutch: * Finnish: * German: * Italian: * Malayalam: * Russian: * Spanish: * Swedish: * Turkish: , * Greek: * Swedish: Verb # To cover, fill, or affect with lead; as, continuous firing leads the grooves of a rifle. # To place leads between the lines of; as, to lead a page; leaded matter. Usage notes Note carefully these two senses are verbs derived from the noun referring to the metallic element, and are unrelated to the heteronym defined below under Etymology 2. Translations * Dutch: * Finnish: täyttää lyijyllä, peittää lyijyllä, täyttyä lyijyyn, peittyä lyijyyn * German: * Greek: * Russian: * Swahili: * Dutch: * Swahili: * plumbi See also * anglesite * aplomb * cerussite * galena * litharge * plumb * plumb-, plumbo- * plumbagin * plumbago * plumballophane * plumbane * plumbary * plumbate * plumbator * plumb dulcis * plumbean * plumbeous * plumber * plumbian * plumbic * plumbicon * plumbiferous * plumbine * plumbing * plumbism * plumbisolvency * plumbisolvent * plumbite * plumb-joint * plumbless * plumbly * plumbous * plumby * plummet * TEL Etymology 2 From , probably a causative form of . Cognate with Dutch , German , Swedish , Danish . Pronunciation * , , * * Verb # To guide or conduct with the hand, or by means of some physical contact connection; as, a father leads a child; a jockey leads a horse with a halter; a dog leads a blind man. #:* If a blind man lead a blind man, both fall down in the ditch. — John Wyclif on Matthew 15:14 #:* They thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill. — Luke 4:29 #:* In thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty. — Milton # To guide or conduct in a certain course, or to a certain place or end, by making the way known; to show the way, especially by going with or going in advance of, to lead a pupil; to guide somebody somewhere or to bring somebody somewhere by means of instructions. Hence, figuratively: To direct; to counsel; to instruct; as, to lead a traveler. #:* The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way. — Exodus 13:21 #:* He leadeth me beside the still waters. — Psalms 23:2 #:* This thought might lead me through the world’s vain mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide. — Milton. # To conduct or direct with authority; to have direction or charge of; as, to lead an army, an exploring party, or a search; to lead a political party; to command, especially a military or business unit #:* Christ took not upon him flesh and blood that he might conquer and rule nations, lead armies, or possess places. — Robert South # To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages. #:* As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. — Edward Fairfax, translating Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. #:* And lo! Ben Adhem's name '''led' all the rest. — Leigh Hunt # To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause. #:* The evidence '''leads' me to believe he is guilty.'' #:* He was driven by the necessities of the times, more than led by his own disposition, to any rigor of actions. — Eikon Basilike #:* Silly women, laden with sins, led away by divers lusts. — 2 Timothy 3:6. # To guide or conduct oneself in, through, or along (a certain course); hence, to proceed in the way of; to follow the path or course of; to pass; to spend. Also, to cause (one) to proceed or follow in (a certain course). #:* That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. — 1 Timothy 2:2 #:* Nor thou with shadowed hint confuse A life that leads melodious days. — Alfred Tennyson #:* You remember . . . the life he used to lead his wife and daughter. — Dickens # To begin a game, round, or trick, with; as, to lead trumps #: He '''led' a double five.'' # To guide or conduct, as by accompanying, going before, showing, influencing, directing with authority, etc.; to have precedence or preeminence; to be first or chief; — used in most of the senses of the transitive verb. # To be ahead of others, e.g., in a race # To have the highest interim score in a game # To be more advanced in technology or business than others # To tend or reach in a certain direction, or to a certain place; as, the path leads to the mill; gambling leads to other vices. #:* The mountain-foot that leads towards Mantua. — Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, V-ii # To lead off or out, to go first; to begin. # To produce. #: The shock '''led' to a change in his behaviour.'' # To step off base and move towards the next base. #: The batter always '''leads' off base.'' # To aim in front of a moving target, in order that the shot may hit the target as it passes. Derived terms * lead astray * lead captive * leader * leading * lead the way * take the lead Translations * Arabic: * Breton: , , * Chinese: *: Mandarin: , * Czech: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: , , * French: * German: , * Hebrew: * Hungarian: * Italian: , * Japanese: * Malayalam: * Old Church Slavonic: * Polish: , , , , * Portuguese: , * Russian: , * Slovene: * Spanish: * Swahili: * Swedish: , * West Frisian: * Catalan: , , * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: , , * French: , , * Hebrew: * Italian: * Japanese: , , * Polish: , , , , , , , * Russian: , * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * West Frisian: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: , * French: , * Hebrew: , * Italian: * Japanese: * Malayalam: * Polish: , , , , * Russian: * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * West Frisian: * Catalan: , * Dutch: * Esperanto: , * Finnish: * French: * Hebrew: , * Hungarian: * Polish: , , * Russian: * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: , * French: à, à, à * Hebrew: , * Italian: , * Japanese: * Polish: * Russian: , , * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: , * French: * Hebrew: , * Italian: * Japanese: * Polish: * Russian: , * Swahili: * Dutch: * Esperanto: * Finnish: * Hebrew: * Italian: * Polish: * Portuguese: * Russian: с (xodít’ s +''genitive pl''), с (pojtí s +''genitive pl'') * Dutch: , , * Esperanto: * Finnish: * Hebrew: , * Italian: * Japanese: , , * Korean: * Polish: * Russian: * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: , * Esperanto: * Finnish: * Hebrew: * Italian: * Polish: , , * Russian: * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: aanvoeren, vooroplopen * Finnish: * French: * Hebrew: * Italian: * Japanese: リードする (りーどする, līdo-suru) * Polish: * Russian: * Slovene: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Finnish: johtaa, olla edellä * French: * Hebrew: * Polish: , * Russian: * Swahili: * Swedish: * Dutch: leiden naar * Finnish: , * French: * Japanese: 達する (たっする, tassuru), 到達する (とうたつする, tōtatsu-suru) * Polish: * Russian: * Swahili: * Esperanto: * German: * Hebrew: * Italian: * Polish: * Russian: * Swahili: transitive: * : (ágo) * : ducere intransitive: * : bezañ e penn, bezañ o charreat * : guiar * : poentantaŭi or antaŭi poente (10), antaŭeniriĝi (11) * : pimpin, bimbing, tffuntun * : a conduce, a îndruma Noun # The act of leading or conducting; guidance; direction; as, to take the lead; to be under the lead of another. #:* At the time I speak of, and having a momentary lead, . . . I am sure I did my country important service. — Edmund Burke # Precedence; advance position; also, the measure of precedence; as, the white horse had the lead; a lead of a boat’s length, or of half a second; the state of being ahead in a race; the highest score in a game in an incomplete game. # a metallic wire for electrical devices and equipments # When a runner steps away from a base while waiting for the pitch to be thrown #: The runner took his '''lead' from first.'' # (cards and dominoes) The act or right of playing first in a game or round; the card suit, or piece, so played; as, your partner has the lead. # A channel of open water in an ice field. # A lode. # The course of a rope from end to end. # A rope, leather strap, or similar device with which to lead an animal; a leash # In a steam engine, The width of port opening which is uncovered by the valve, for the admission or release of steam, at the instant when the piston is at end of its stroke. #* Usage note: When used alone it means outside lead, or lead for the admission of steam. Inside lead refers to the release or exhaust. # charging lead # The distance of haul, as from a cutting to an embankment. # The action of a tooth, as a tooth of a wheel, in impelling another tooth or a pallet. — Claudias Saunier # Hypothesis that has not been pursued #:* The investigation stalled when all leads turned out to be dead ends. # Information obtained by a detective or police officer that allows him or her to discover further details about a crime or incident. # Potential opportunity for a sale or transaction, a potential customer. #:* Joe is a great addition to our sales team, he has numerous leads in the paper industry. # Information obtained by a news reporter about an issue or subject that allows him or her to discover more details. # The player who throws the first two rocks for a team. # A teaser; a lead in; the start of a newspaper column, telling who, what, when, where, why and how. (Sometimes spelled as lede for this usage to avoid ambiguity.) # The axial distance a screw thread travels in one revolution. It is equal to the pitch times the number of starts. Usage notes Note that these noun (attributive) uses are all derived from the verb, not the chemical element in Etymology 1. Derived terms * bury the lead * lead angle * lead in * lead role * lead screw * take the lead Translations * Dutch: , * Finnish: , * German: * Polish: * Portuguese: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Finnish: , * German: , * Greek: (provádisma) * Polish: * Portuguese: * Russian: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Polish: * Russian: * Swedish: * Dutch: * Dutch: * German: * Russian: * Dutch: * Dutch: * Finnish: * French: * German: * Polish: * Russian: привязь (prívjaz’) ; повод (póvod) ; поводок (povodók) * Dutch: * French: , * German: * Polish: trop , cynk * Russian: * Dutch: * French: * German: * Polish: trop , cynk * : roll , rolloù , delc’her en e roll / gant ar roll Adjective # Foremost. #: The contestants are all tied; no one has the '''lead' position.'' Synonyms * first, front, head, leader, leading References * Anagrams * * dale, Dale * deal * E.D. La. * lade Category:1000 English basic words Category:English heteronyms Category:English homophones Category:English irregular verbs Category:English words with multiple etymologies ---- Hungarian Etymology Pronunciation * * Verb # To pass down, to hand down, to turn in, to drop off. Derived terms * leadja a voksát ---- Old English Etymology From . Noun # lead ar:lead zh-min-nan:lead de:lead et:lead el:lead es:lead eu:lead fa:lead fr:lead gl:lead ko:lead hr:lead io:lead it:lead kn:lead kk:lead ku:lead lo:lead la:lead lt:lead li:lead hu:lead nl:lead ja:lead no:lead oc:lead pl:lead pt:lead ro:lead ru:lead simple:lead fi:lead sv:lead ta:lead te:lead th:lead uk:lead vi:lead vo:lead zh:lead